Horse-detacher.



G. HARER. V

,HORSE DETACHER.

LIGATION FILED MAE. as; 1912 1 03 572 I Patented Sept. 17 1912.

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U WI/Iii] Snow V0010 snwnnr oFFIoE- GRANT HARER, OF LONG CREEK, OREGON.

HORSE-DETACHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented se t. 17, 1912.

Application filed March 26, 1912. Serial No. 686,285.

1 horse detachers, its primary object being to provide manually operative means for quickly releasing a horse from a vehicle should it become necessary or desirable to do so.

Specifically, my invention comprises novel means operable by an occupant within the vehicle whereby the trace hooks mounted on the swingletree may be released from their normal position to permit the traces to become detached, the hooks, however, under ordinary conditions securely performing their usual draft function.

For a full understanding of the present invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a swingletree embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. i is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken about on the line -55 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a modified form of springfor holding the toggle lever in normal position; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing in section a flexible tube which may be used to protect the connecting member.

Throughout the following detail descrip vtion and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

While my invention is readilyapplicable to swingletrees or double bars, I have shown in the drawings the construction of a swingletree, designated as 1,,embodying my peculiar form of releasing means. The swingletree is preferably formed with continuous recess extending longitudinally therethrough, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4; of the drawings, and mounted intermediate its ends at the front portion thereof in said recess is the toggle lever 2, comprising the members 2 mounted on the pivots 2". The opposite ends of the toggle lever 2 are pivotally connected by means of the links 3, with the releasing levers 4, which are in turn mounted adjacent the extremities of the swingletree in the recess aforesaid on the pivots 4/.

Pivotally mounted on the ends of the swingletree 1, as by means of the'pintles 5, are the usual trace attaching hooks 6, said hooks comprising upper and lower jaw members 6 between which the outer ext-remities of the releasing levers 4: are received.

Secured at one end between the joint of 5- the members 2 of the toggle lever 2 is the operating arm 7 extending rearwardly and preferably in an oblique direction, such as toward the drivers seat in the vehicle, and through an opening in the other end of said arm a flexible connecting member or rope 8 is fastened.

On the front portion of the swingletree I provide springs 9 adjacent the opposite ends of the toggle lever 2, the free ends of said springs normally bearing against the outer ends of the members 2. 'As will be apparent, the tendency of these springs is to hold the toggle lever in operative position, and the releasing levers 4 in engagement with the 5 trace hooks 6, thereby preventing any likelij hood of unauthorized disengagement of said releasing levers from the hooks.

The operation of my device will be clearly understood from the foregoing description and by reference to the drawing. The ends of the traces 10, shown in Fig. 1, are insorted in the usualmanner in the hooks 6, and the ends of the releasing levers 4L engaged between the jaw members 6, under which conditions the swingletree will operate as the ordinary draft means, but should the horse for any reason become unruly o'r unmanageable and likely to endanger the life of the occupant of the vehicle, the driver catches hold of the rope 8 and by giving a nick jerk the toggle lever .2, through its link connections, will disengage the ends of the releasing levers 1 from between the jaw members 6. This will permit the hooks to swing downwardly, thereby detaching the trace ends 10 therefrom.

While I have shownin the drawings the preferred form of spring 9 it is obvious that other forms of springs may be used, such as the bent leaf spring 9 as shown in Fig. 6, in which case the said spring is placed adjacent the toggle joint within the recess in the swingletree 1. The connecting member 8 may be effectively protected from being accidentally operated by the flexible tube or casing 11, shown in Fig. .7 through which said member passes. The tube is attached to the swingletree and extends backward to a convenient place in front of the driver, where it is also secured. Other changes in the details of construction may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and Within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A horse detacher comprising in combination, a swingletree, atoggle lever mounted on said swingletree intermediateits ends, releasing levers operatively connected at one end with the toggle lever, trace attaching hooks mounted on the ends of said. swingletree and normally held in operative position by said releasing levers, and means connected with the toggle lever to disengage the releasing levers aforesaid to release the hooks.

2. A horse detachercomprising in combination, a swingletree, a toggle lever mounted on said swingletreeintermediate its ends, releasing levers operatively connected at one end with the toggle lever, trace attaching with the trace hooks, and means connected 5 carried by the ends of the swingletree, each 5 having jaw members between which the free hooks mounted on the ends of said swingletree and normally held in operative position by said releasing levers, means for holding the releasing levers in engagement with the toggle lever to disengage the releasing levers aforesaid to release the hooks.

3. A horse detacher comprising in comed to lockingly engage, and an operating F arm connected to the toggle lever and adaptbination, a swingletree, a toggle lever mounti'ii ed on said swingletree intermediate its ends, releasinglevers operatively connected at one end with the toggle lever, trace attaching hooks mounted on the ends of said swingletree and normally held in operative i3 position by said releasing levers, and an operating arm connected with the toggle lever and operable to disengage the releasing levers from the hooks aforesaid.

4. A horse detacher comprising in comtheir ends adjacent to each endof the toggle lever,.trace attaching hooks mounted on the ends of said swingletree and normally held in operative position by said releasing levers, links connecting the opposite ends of the toggle lever with the releasing levers, an

operating arm connected with the toggle 5. A horse detacher comprising, in combination, a swingletree, a toggle lever mounted on said swlngletree intermediate lts ends,

releasing levers connected at one end with v the toggle lever, trace attaching hooks mounted on the ends of said swingletree, the

said hooks each having jaw members to receive a trace, and between which the end of the adjacent releasing lever is adapted to lockingly engage, and an operating arm connected with the toggle lever and operable j"? to disengage the releasing levers from the jaw members of the hooks aforesaid.

6. A horse detacher comprising, in combination, a swingletree, a toggle lever mountthe releasing levers aforesaid, trace hooks ends of the adjacent releasing lever is adapt- T ed on said swingletree intermediate its ends, i a releasing lever mounted adjacent to: each 1 end of the toggle lever, links connecting the ends of the toggle lever with one end of ed to impart break joint movement to the J i same to disengage the releasing levers from I between the aw members of the trace hooks and permit pivotal movement of the latter, the toggle lever, links and releasing. levers f aforesaid being arranged to move in the if same plane.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature Q in presence of two witnesses. bination, a swingletree having a recess ex- I tending longitudinally thereof, a toggle lever mounted in the recess aforesaid and intermediate the ends of said swingletree, releas- 1 v ing levers pivotally mounted intermediate GRANT HARER.

WVitnesses: L. B. GoNGER, ELMER A. SHIELDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (3." 

